A Lot Can Change in a Year
by ThreeLittle EmoNerds
Summary: It's been an entire year since Ikuto's odd disappearance. Now, when he comes back, Amu's made some new friends, some of whom have heard of Ikuto and are trying to protect her. Can Ikuto earn their respect and win Amu's heart?
1. An Unexpected Visit

**MusiicSoul: Haii everybody! This is our first fanfic so go easy on us!**

**Ikuto: ... Why are all three of you talking at the same time?**

**Hiromi: Fine, meanie. That was only for the intro anyway.**

**Ayari: Well, let's start the sto—**

**Amu: Hey, is this going to be an Amuto or Tadamu?**

**Kimie: Just read and you'll find—**

**Tadase: OF COURSE IT WILL BE A TADA—**

**MusiicSoul: WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LET US START?!**

**Everyone: ...**

**WE DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA OR ANY OTHER BRAND, SONG, ETC. MENTIONED.**

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Chapter One: An Unexpected Visit

Amu's POV

"AMU-CHAAAAAAN!" chimed the three chara's floating above my head.

I groaned loudly. I didn't really want to go to school today, heck, who ever does want to go to school? "C'mon Amu-chan, hurry up or you'll be late for school!" shouted Ran, my energetic, pink chara.

Wait, she said late... WHAT TIME IS IT?! I checked my digital clock on my bedside table. 7:30. OH MY GOSH! I had half an hour to get ready and walk to school! I immediately jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to put on my uniform. I went to middle school so now I had a different uniform. In elementary school I wore a red, plaid skirt with a matching top, but now the main colour I have to wear is green. The boys and girls don't wear different colours anymore, but the uniforms do have their differences.

The girls uniform basically looked like my elementary one, except it was emerald green, the skirt was a bit longer, and there were no leg warmers that matched the skirt. The boys uniform was similar to the elementary boys uniform too, except the bottoms were pants instead of long shorts.

I had finished changing pretty quickly since, when you have a uniform, you don't have to run all over your room and rummage for something to wear. I ran downstairs and quickly popped a piece of buttered toast into my mouth. Before rushing out the door to briskly get to school, I checked my calendar and marked off todays date. Hmm... today... it's the same day he left... on year ago... I quickly shook the thought out of my head, and ran out the door.

As I got out the door I had about 15 minutes to get to school. Oh my gosh! I don't think I can make it! "Ran!" I called my chara quickly. "Chara change!" I yelled as I grew small white wings on my shoes.

"Hop,"

"Step,"

"Jump!"

I swiftly flew into the air and towards the school until I finally arrived. There were about 6 minutes before the students would haveto enter the school and get to class. As I said before, go to middle school now, Seikyuu Middle School to be exact. Yeah, I am now 12 years old and in the 7th grade, I just started Middle School. As I entered the school I heard a few faint yells from down the hall...

"Amu-chan!"

It was the guardians. The Guardians are still together, now in Middle School, except Yaya, who is still in her last year of Elementary School. We also have a few new guardians, 5 actually. And Kukai is back. I know, we have A LOT of Guardians nowadays. Not that it's a bad thing, but we sort of ran out of names like Jack, King, Queen, so we just call them Guardians. Well I should stop babbling and greet them.

"Hey guys!" I greeted warmly. All the Guardians smiled at me, and then Rima, the Queen, spoke up.

"Um... guys, aren't we going to be late for school?" she said, pointing at the clock. We all abruptly jerked and simultaniously yelled "OH YEAH!"

We all ran quickly to our classes and took our seats. Again, my seat was next to the window. And again, people still thought of me as the Cool n' Spicy Hinamori Amu. In fact you could practically hear a few fan squeals as I walked into the room.

"OH MY GOSH! IT'S HINAMORI AMU!"

"COOL AND SPICY!"

I sighed and started spacing out while looking out the window.

During class I was basically thinking about what I did everyday since he left. And by he I mean Ikuto. Yeah, you know, that perverted cat eared guy? Yeah well a year ago he left for who knows what reason... and I hate to say it but... I miss him. I know, I'm usually yelling at him and calling him a pervert and whatnot, but... I don't know, it just feels... different when he's not here. Like there's this strange empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

In class I would basically imagine what it would be like if he was still here. I always wonder if he left because of what I said to him that night, when he stayed over at my place....

_~Flashback~_

_Amu had brought home a bag of taiyaki for Ikuto and Yoru, but because of a "yarn incident" they sat far apart from eachother with their charas sitting in between. Then Amu heard Ikuto's stomach growl._

_"You're hungry, right?" Amu asked in an annoyed tone. "Pass this to Ikuto," she added as she passed the bag of taiyaki to Ran who passed it all the way to Yoru._

_"Taiyaki-nya!" Yoru squealed excitedly, his mouth watering as he held the pastry._

_The he passed it over to Ikuto, who looked inside the bag and calmly said, "There's nothing," as Yoru shrieked in surprise._

_When Ran, Miki and Suu were passing the taiyaki, they took a piece for themselves. Amu got quite annoyed at this and yelled, "What should I do if you guys eat it?!"_

_The three charas tell her to have a 'nice heart-to-heart talk' with Ikuto who is calmly watching the scene, and she replies saying, "Why should I? It's not like I was worrying about him all day at school today."_

_Ikuto, being who he is, smirked and said, "Ehh, so you were worrying about me all day? You must really like me then."_

_"Idiot! I couldn't tell Tadase the truth so I had to lie my face off! It's such a pain!" Amu shouted, her anger obvious in her voice._

_Ikuto looked away, a bit upset and replied, "If you don't like it that much you can just kick me out."_

_Amu's expression seemed to harden as she said, "No one's stopping you from leaving!"_

_And with that, Amu left the room, with Ran behind her and calling her name, leaving Ikuto in her room looking at the ground with a troubled expression on his face._

_End of Flashback~_

I sigh at the thought of that possibility. And I was even going to apologize to him later that day, too...

DRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!

Yes! Class is finally done! I was barely even paying attention to what the teachers were saying but I think I got the point. As I walked through the halls, I heard two voices calling my name.

Nagihiko and Tadase.

"Hinamori-san, we have another Guardian meeting now, could you join us now in the Royal Garden?" Tadase kindly stated, smiling a princely smile that made me blush inwardly a bit.

"Sure, Tadase-kun! Nagihiko, you're coming, too, right?" I replied, as Nagihiko nodded and we all walked to the Royal Garden. Middle School doesn't seem like much of a change to Elementary School, I mean, they have a Royal Garden, too, just like at Seiyo. After walking through what must have a been a forest of nature and several types of flowers, we reached the Middle School version of the Royal Garden.

We sat down in our chairs, there were 10 seats now, and a much larger table. Then Tadase spoke up, "Hello Guardians, we are now going to begin our meeting. Not much has been going on since Easter's been quite inactive for the past year, since that Thieving Cat left."

The reminder of Ikuto leaving sort of made my heart sink a bit. The thought of him leaving because of me came back to me... I inwardly sighed. I know that Tadase doen't really get along with Ikuto and all, but does he have to say that at the beginning of EVERY Guardian meeting? Can't he see that it hurts to be reminded of him? Especially since it could be my fault... but then again, Tadase doesn't know that Ikuto stayed over.

Before I continue, you should meet the new Guardians. First off, there's Kimie. She has brown hair, slightly below her shoulder and a front fringe with a small ponytail on each side of her head. She is my age.

Next, there's Ayari. She's the one with dark brown hair slightly over her shoulder with side bangs and dark blond highlights. She has 3 charas. There's Koru, Teru and Mochi. You'll meet them soon, so don't worry. Ayari is my age as well.

Next up is Doshike. He's the same age as me, again. He's the one with burnt orange hair that's short, and slightly shaggy with bangs similar to a thin front fringe. His eyes are dark brown. He has one chara named Kiko. He has a close relationship with Ayari but I'm not sure if he or Ayari knows that I know.

Ryuu is the newest Guardian. He's the one with slightly spiked, black, and messy hair with a red streak. His eyes are brown. He has two charas, Kaito and Kago. Ryuu is 14 and in the 9th grade. He is the oldest of the Guardians. He's a bit distant and quiet, but when Hiromi's around, he seems to change and act more friendly.

Lastly, there's Hiromi. She was second last to join and was the one who got Ryuu to agree to join. She has black chest length hair, purple highlights, and side-swept bangs. Her eyes are dark brown, almost black. She has three charas, Aiko, Ayumu and Michiyo. She is 13 and in the 8th grade. She is often very quiet and cold except when she's with Ryuu and I. Now that you've met everyone, let's continue the meeting.

The meeting went through with little to no problems and we discussed X-Egg Patrol schedules and pairings. Tadase is paired with me, Rima with Nagihiko, Kukai with Kimie, Ayari with Doshike and Ryuu with Hiromi. We all walked out to go home until I stopped abruptly. Nagihiko spoke from behind me.

"Amu-chan, what's wrong...." he trailed off as he saw why I stopped.

"Hinamori-san? Fujisaki-san?" Tadase said worriedly as he walked up to us. Then he saw what we were looking at...

There was a tall, smirking figure standing in front of us. It was a boy with midnight blue hair and dark cat ears and a tail sticking out. It was...

"TSUKIYOMI IKUTO?!"

* * *

**Kimie: Hehe.. cliff-hanger!**

**Ikuto: I don't like this chapter.**

**Ayari: Ehh? Why not?**

**Ikuto: I barely did anything here! All I did was appear and I didn't even say anything.**

**Hiromi: Well, you got to smirk.**

**Ayari: AND THAT PLAYS A BIG ROLE!!**

**Amu: YAY! This chapter was all in my POV!**

**Ayari: Yepp, well who's gonna do the—**

**Yoru: READ && REVIEW!**

**Ayari: OMG IT'S YORU!!!!! -squishes cheeks-**

**MusiicSoul: KAWAIII!!!!**


	2. 20 Questions

**Ayari: Heyloo peoples! This is the second chapter of A Lot Can Change in A Year  
Ikuto: Soooo?  
Kimie: What?  
Ikuto: Do I get to talk in this chapter?  
Hiromi: Yeah, yeah yeah, you can do more than smirk this time.  
Ikuto: Hmm.. -glares-  
Hiromi: Dude quit glaring, you get to talk.  
Ikuto: Alright -smiles-  
Fangirls: OHMAGAWSH! -get get nosebleeds from smile and faint-  
Ayari: -sweatdrop- Yeah... well on with it! Ikuto, do the disclaimer.  
Ikuto: What? Why me?  
Kimie: JUST DO IT!  
Ikuto: -mutters about how authors are picking on him-  
MusiicSoul: What was that?  
Ikuto: er... MusiicSoul does not not own Shugo Chara or its characters.  
**

Chapter 2: 20 Questions?

Amu's POV

Oh my gosh! What is Ikuto doing here?! He's been gone for a year and now he suddenly comes back?! What the hell? He was wearing his usual smirk though I couldn't imagine why. Probably because of the shocked expression everyone had. Well, everyone except for Ryuu and Hiromi.

"Yo," Ikuto greeted as we all regained our composure.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto! What are you doing here? Didn't you leave a year ago?!" Tadase yelled, clearly angered by his sudden appearance.

"One: Don't you ever get tired of saying my full name? Two: Can't I visit every once and a while and Three: Can't a person come back after leaving?" he replied boredly, obviously amused by his outburst.

"NO, NO AND NO!"

The rest of the Guardians were watching, especially Hiromi who looked like she was analyzing him. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Hiromi can accurately guess what a person is like just by looking at them. Even more accurately if she chara changes with Aiko. Well back to the topic. I was spacing out a bit and then I noticed that Ikuto was slowly walking towards me, Tadase and the others staring blankly at the scene. "Hey _Amu_, you miss me?" he said, in the same husky voice I remembered, emphasizing my name. Unfortunately, that same voice was the one that made me stutter and blush so my response turned out like this...

"A-As i-f! I w-would n-never miss s-someone like y-y-you..." Darned stuttering! Darned blushing!!

"Hm... you're being very contradictory, you know that?" he said as he leaned in closer to my face.

Then I saw him back off. I wondered why, but then I saw. Apparently, Ayari TRIED to hit Ikuto, but ended up falling a bush.

Normal POV

"What do you think you're doing you stupid cat?!" she yelled loudly, as she climbed out of the bush, with her hair flaming up.

Ikuto had jumped back and his cat ears and tail were out. Ayari threw several attacks as she was chara changed Mochi. Her hair had transformed into a large ponytail, and a pair of nunchucks appeared in her hands. She yelled at him once again, "You're such a coward, dodging my blows and not even bothering to fight back."

Before Ayari could deliver another blow at Ikuto, a voice from behind Amu spoke.

"Ayari, stop," It was Hiromi's calm, yet somewhat cold voice.

"What?! Why? He was harassing Amu! Besides I can take him! He's not even bothering to fight ba—" before she could finish, Hiromi interrupted.

"He didn't come here to fight," Hiromi said without making eye contact, "And he's strong enough to beat you, Ayari, you should know that."

"Aw, Hiromi!" she whined, "If he didn't come to fight then why is he here?"

Hiromi took a glance at Ikuto which didn't come unnoticed. Ikuto saw that she was looking at him, and got a bit annoyed. Then Tadase spoke. "Kakinomoto-san, how can you be sure that he didn't come to cause trouble?! Did you chara change with Aiko?" He was obviously still pretty angered at the events that had occurred.

"No, but—"

"HA! Then how can we be sure you are correct?!" Tadase interrupted Hiromi rudely.

Hiromi seemed to stay as composed as she was before, but was also a bit saddened that Tadase put his anger at Ikuto ahead of his trust in her abilities. She knew that he knew that even without character changing, she could guess certain things about people accurately.

"Tadase-kun, you know very well that even if she didn't character change with Aiko, she could still correctly guess that about him!" Kimie confronted him.

Tadase, who was previously character changed with Kiseki, dropped the change and was back to his normal self, and said, "Kakinomoto-san—"

He never got a chance to complete his sentence, as Ikuto felt a bit neglected, and therefore jumped in saying, "Well, I can see you have some problems, so I guess I'll take my leave."

Everyone looked his way, before he finished by saying, "Bye Kiddy King, _Amu._" Once again, he emphasized Amu's name and left the Royal Garden. Amu just stared as he jumped away, still character changed with Yoru. Once he left, Tadase continued what he was saying before Ikuto interrupted. "Kakinomoto-san," he began slowly, "I'm sorry for yelling at you so harshly. I shouldn't have done it and I guess that I just let my vengeance towards that Thieving Cat get the best of me. Gomen"

Hiromi looked at him for a bit before responding. "It's alright Tadase. I forgive you," she replied as she gave a faint smile, the one she usually uses to mask certain other emotions. Tadase thanked her and gave another dazzling smile, which didn't affect her like it did to other girls, but was still pretty assuring.

The Guardians walked out into the sidewalks leading to their houses. Ryuu and Hiromi went another way towards their houses, but then Tadase spoke. "Ah, Kakinomoto-san, Tsukikage-san? Why don't you go this way instead? I know it's much longer, but the Thieving Cat went that way," He warned, pointing towards the street Ryuu and Hiromi were going towards. "And we wouldn't want him to cause any trouble," he finished.

Ryuu replied, "No thanks Hotori, I'm sure we can handle him if he comes. I can protect Hiromi if anything happens." With that last sentence he earned a "HEY!" from Hiromi, and chuckled.

Tadase nodded in response and they all continued walking home. When Ryuu and Hiromi got to the park, Hiromi spoke, "Hey Ryuu, you can go on, I'm going to go to the park."

He furrowed his brow in slight confusion before saying, "You sure? I could come if you want."

Hiromi giggled a bit before replying, "You don't have to watch over me all the time, I can handle myself."

Ryuu smiled and then nodded in approval before walking off towards his house. Meanwhile, Hiromi walked over to the park. She walked around, apparently searching before stopping by a tree. She spotted a tall boy with midnight blue hair and a cat chara sitting on his chest. It was Ikuto. She walked in front of him. "Hey, Tsukiyomi," she greeted calmly.

Ikuto's POV

I was napping snugly beneath a tree with Yoru on top of my chest. Suddenly, I heard a calm and unusually familiar voice say, "Hey, Tsukiyomi."

I opened one eye to look at who was calling me. It was her. That new Guardian. I think I heard her name, that girl, Ayari said it. Her name was Hiromi. I lazily opened both of my eyes and still laying down. As I took a better look at her, I noticed she was wearing the Middle School boys uniform. Why didn't I notice that before? Oh yeah, I was focusing on Amu...

Finally after a few moments of analyzing, I retorted coldly, "Why are you wearing a boys uniform? And what do you want?"

She raised an eyebrow at me before responding to my questions. "One: That isn't very well any of your business, and Two: I want to help you."

What?! Help me with what?? Several other questions popped into my head but i just coolly responded, "Why would I need help? And if it isn't any of my business, then how is it any of your business to help me?"

I was still immensely curious and she made a comeback before I could say anything else. "Fine, if you want to know why I wear a boys uniform, I'll tell you. But not now," she began, "Right now I need to help you with Amu-chan."

Okay, now I'm seriously confused. Why would I need help with Amu? Again I returned her comment with more questions, "Why would I need help with Amu?"

It seemed like forever that she stared at me like I was stupid. "What, are we playing 20 questions or something? You need help getting  
to talk to her, which you and I both know is a bit of a challenge since the newer Guardians are quite protective of Amu-chan and the original Guardians don't seem to like you any better," she said with a hint of annoyance evident in her voice.

I smirked and replied, "Actually, I believe I only asked 5 questions, and fine, I'll let you help me."

She glared a bit at me and retorted, "Whatever, and I wasn't asking for your permission to help you, but I guess that will improve the situation."

I raised an eyebrow at her and then said, "Alright then, what are you going to to to help me?"

"I'm not going to help you _today_, I'll tell you what I'm going to do tomorrow, for now, I think you should meet my charas," she responded.

"Sure," I said, somewhat boredly before continuing, "You can't tell any of the Guardians th—"

Before I could continue, she added, "With the exception of Ryuu."

"Uh, who's Ryuu?" I asked curiously. Gosh this girl said she was going to help me and yet she doesn't even tell me who people are in the first place...

Then she replied, "Ryuu is the guy that was standing beside me when you came into the Royal Garden. He's like my best guy friend and I can't keep this from him," the way she ended it was serious.

I wondered why she made such a big deal about telling this guy, but I guess I can trust her, a bit anyway. I nodded in approval and calmly said, "Fine, he can know, but no one else, now show me your charas."

She nodded and called out three charas. THREE?! Wow, this girl has almost as many as Amu. No wonder she's a Guardian. Apparently she noticed my shock somehow, as she suddenly said, "Oh don't be so surprised. The new girl Guardians have 3 charas."

I shot a slightly confused look at her, which she ignored and started her introductions. She pointed to a chara with long black hair, a front fringe, and golden eyes. It wore a saffron skirt and black shirt with a swirly print. There was a headband with waterlily on it. "This is Aiko," Hiromi said. The character smiled kindly and nodded to greet me.

Next she pointed to a chara with light brown hair that's slightly messy and red eyes. It wore a pansy coloured 'off the shoulder' shirt and gray shorts. It had a white fedora with butterfly on it. The character smiled with a bit of attitude and tipped her hat. Hiromi introduced her as Ayumu.

The last chara had dark blue hair with side-swept bangs. Her hair gets curly near the bottom and its eyes are green. It wore a short black dress and white leggings. It had a hairclip with treble clef on it. Hiromi said her name was Michiyo.

"...Well, now you've met my charas, and I've already seen yours," She replied after finishing her charas introductions, "Now I'm going to leave and tell Ryuu. I'll start helping you tomorrow."

Before I could even reply to that, she took her charas and walked off. Hmm... I wonder if she can actually help me. Maybe she knows another way to _Amu's_ heart. _Amu_. Ha, it's fun saying her name. _Amuuuuuuuuu...  
_****

Hiromi: Yay! We finished the second chapter!  
Kimie: Aw, I only said one thing... -pouts-  
Ikuto: Yeahh! I finally got to talk! And I got a whole POV section. So HA.  
Kimie: You're not making me feel any better...  
Ikuto: - shrugs-  
Amu: Ugh... all I did was stutter...  
Ikuto: Oh there you are _**Amu**_**.  
Amu: Stop emphasizing my dang name!  
Ikuto: Nah.  
Amu: GRRR.  
Ayari: ... So while they sort out their problems...  
Doshike: Read and Review!  
Ayari: -hearts in eyes-  
Tadase: Eh?? Where did Doshike come from??  
Kukai: Why don't I ever talk!?  
Ayari: BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!! -_-''  
Hiromi: -ignores- Oh and in your review please tell us if we should change the rating to T.  
MusiicSoul: KTHXBAI!**


	3. Let the 'Help' Begin

**MusiicSoul: Helloo EVERYBODY!! Sorry this chapter is A LITTLE late.**  
**Hiromi: I blame Ayari. TSK TSK TSK**  
**Ayari: Eh?! Why ME?!**  
**Doshike: Because...**  
**Ayari: OH MY GOSH ITS DOSHIKE!! -hearts in eyes-**  
**Ikuto: Yes... hello everybody.  
Ayari: Why so glum, chum?? -still staring at Doshike with hearts in eyes-  
Hiromi: Maybe its because I'm gonna hel-  
Ikuto: SHUT UP!!!!!!  
Kimie: They are such a hand full...  
Tadase: TSUKIYOMI IKUTO!!  
Ikuto: WHAT?!  
Tadase: Do the dislclaimer!  
Ikuto: What? Why me?  
Ayari: Because... I SAID SO! No wait... BECAUSE TADASE SAID SO!  
Ikuto: Like I'm gonna listen to Kiddy King.  
Hiromi: Ikuto did it last time. I think.  
Kimie: YEAH LET THE GAY LITTLE PRINCE DO IT!  
Tadase: MUAHAHAHA I AM NO MERE PRINCE I AM KING! AND I AM NO GAY PRINCE... I AM A GAY KING! NO WAIT... IM NOT GAY.... AGH!! CURSE YO--  
Kimie: Nevermind.**

**WE DO NOT OWN ANY SONGS, BOOKS, COMPANIES OR ANYTHING ELSE MENTIONED HERE!**

Ikuto POV**  
**

So... Today is the day that Hiromi said that she would help me. Help me with what you ask? I don't know... Maybe she'll help me with my hunting or cooking or something. Anyway, as I walk through the forest, I see a small black form of some sort in the distance. As I look harder, I see something red. Or black. Green? The colour became clearer as the figure inched closer. It turned out to be blue. And the figure turned out to be Hiromi.

"Hey Ikuto." She said as she continued to inch closer.

"Hey Hiromi." I said coolly.

"Sooo... What were you gonna help me with again?" I asked Hiromi.

"Well... I'm gonna help you earn their trust. Ya know... the Guardians. Let them know that you aren't just some crazy perverted cat that randomly pops into conversations." She said. "Especially AMUUUUUUUU."

And that was when my flipped my head around so fast, I almost fainted. _Amu? Amuuu. _Ha, her name STILL has a ring to it. _Amuuuu..._ Whoa, I sound like a cow.

"So how EXACTLY are you gonna help me...'earn' the Guardians trust?" I asked confused.

"Well... I don't exactly know...But I will!" Hiromi said, quite charismatically. "Come on. Let's go to the garden."

Ugh... I wonder what she'll do NOW. Last time she "helped" someone, with like love or something, they ended up head first in a bush. Maybe I'll end up head first in a tree. What an accomplishment. As we start walking through the forest, I can imagine Amu's reaction when I FINALLY get her respect.  
_  
~Imagination~_

_"So...It turns out you're NOT a perverted crazy cat after all." Amu says._

_"Well I am a cat..." I say as I lay her head on my hand, and we stare face to face._

_"Ikuto..." Amu says... "Hey Ikuto!"_

_"Huh? What?" I asked._

_"I'M HUNGRY IKUTO!" She screamed in my face._

_"WHA?!" I screamed, confused._

_~IMAGINATION OVER~  
_  
"IKUUUUUUUUUTOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Yoru says repeatedly right in my ear.

"What do you want Yoru?!" I ask annoyed. I have every right to be annoyed! HE RUINED MY FANTASY! Hmph!

"I'm hungry." Yoru says as he sits on my shoulder.

"Well then go buy some taiyaki or something! I don't know." I say as I grab an apple from a tree above my head. "Here," I say as I hand him the apple. "Eat this."

"Yay! Apple~nyaa!" Yoru says as he chows down on the shiny red apple. "Oooh... This is soo good~nya!" Yoru says happily.

"Glad _you're_ happy." I say sarcastically as I keep walking.

Hiromi POV

So, today is the day I help Ikuto with earning respect from the Guardians. I don't know how though... Maybe I'll get a little girl to fall in a pool or something, and then _swoosh!_ Ikuto to the rescue! Wait...bad idea. I could probably get arrested or go to Juvy for throwing a little girl in a pool... hmmm. AND cats HATE water. Wait but is he REALLY a cat? Isn't that just a metaphor for his whole freedom thingy? But if he _is_ one... how does he take a shower? He must hate showers then. Or he must never take one. But he doesn't stink! That's weird. Wow, how did I get from Ikuto earning respect from the Guardians, to if he takes a shower? I'm surprised. When people said I was weird, I was WEIRD. Not weird, but like "WEIRD" weird.

I wonder what Ikuto's doing right now. I turned my head to see what he was doing, and it turned out he was talking, more like YELLING at Yoru, about something... I tried to inch closer, to try and see what they were saying, but all I could hear was "GO EAT SOMETHING ELSE IF YOU'RE HUNGRY!" from Ikuto and "IKUTOOOOOOOOO!!!" from Yoru. I knew he could be an annoyance at times, but right now all I could hear from him was saying Ikuto's name repeatedly. Wowzaaa. Just Wowza.

"Hey. Hiromi, we're here." Ikuto said.

"Huh? Where?" I asked confused as I whipped my head around to see where we were.

"Um...We're at the garden...remember? The one where you said you would help me 'earn' the guardians trust..." Ikuto said.

"Huh? Oh yeah...Right...Earn their trust...right..." I said as I tried to remember everything.

As we kept walking towards the entrance of the Garden... I felt a weird tingling feeling in my head. I hit my head to try to get it out, but it only got worse. I tried to see if Ikuto was watching me, but I didn't see him anywhere... Suddenly, I couldn't hear anything, and I couldn't speak. And the next thing I know, I'm on the ground. I hear no noise. No voices. No nothing.

**Ayari: OH MY GOSH! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIROMI?! WHAT DID YOU DO YOU STUPID CAT?!  
Ikuto: I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! Ugh, you people really annoy me...  
Hiromi: Wowza. Eew I'm on the ground!!! OMG!  
Ayari: Hehe..  
Hiromi: This is getting silent. Okay you people who chose to read this for whatever reason. Please review and we'll give you internet cake! With your favourite Shugo Chara character!  
Yoru: TAIYAKI-NYAA  
Hiromi: I said cake Yoru. But you can have taiyaki instead.  
Yoru: -already clicking the button repeatedly while eating the taiyaki and cake coming out-**

**CLICK THIS BUTTON FOR CAKE  
(Yoru: OR TAIYAKI-NYA!)**


	4. The Unplanned Plan

ThreeLittle EmoNerds: Hey guys, we're finally here with chapter 4 of 'A Lot Can Change in a Year'!

Hiromi: Yeah, sorry we took so long, it was me and Kimie's turn to write.

Kimie: Ehehe… Hiromi was busy and didn't have enough time to write with me.

Ayari: FINALLY you finished it.

Kiseki: COMMONERS! I do appear in this chapter, don't I? -stares arrogantly-

Hiromi: -looks bored- Meh.

Kiseki: How dare you speak to me in such a manner you _peasant_!?

Ayari: -bows down- Of - That's better!

Kimie: Wtf?

Hiromi: I should kill this dude for calling me both a commoner AND a peasant.

Amu: Can we start the chapter already?

Everyone: YEAH!

DISCLAIMER:

We do not own Shugo Chara or it's characters. We do however own our OC's :D

________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 4: Unplanned Plan**

_**I**__k__u__to'__s_**P**_O_**V**

Damn! Did she faint or something? I looked down to see Hiromi, collapsed on the ground, her charas and mine crowding around her. Before I could do anything, Yoru flew up to my face and yelled, "IKUTOOO! Hurry up and do something! I think she fainted!"

Way to point out the obvious, Yoru. Stopping myself from making that sarcastic comment, I nodded and bent over, slinging her over my shoulder. She wasn't very heavy, since she was pretty skinny anyway. I walked over to a bench that was luckily placed under the shade of a tree.

I put her down on the bench, careful not to drop her too hard or anything. She just layed there unconscious, and I saw her chara, Michiyo, poke her and try to wake her up.

_**N**__o__r__m__a__l_ **P**_O_**V**

While Ikuto stood over the bench that Hiromi laid unconsciously on, he didn't seem to notice that someone was watching them. A chara.

Kiseki was on one of his 'Embryo Searches' all alone, since the rest of the charas ignored him like always and went to go and play somewhere. Frustrated, he somehow ended up wandering in the park. As he looked around, he saw a figure standing by a bench, with a girl lying down on it.

As he loomed closer, he realized that the figure standing over the bench was Ikuto, the so-called 'Thieving Cat' and the sleeping figure was Hiromi. Alarmed at the sight of the enemy with a Guardian, Kiseki rushed over in the direction opposite of the Royal Garden.

As Kiseki rushed over, he bumped into Ryuu, who was heading towards the Royal Garden along with the other Guardians. He was ahead of the rest of the Guardians as he looked as if he were alone. Ryuu apologized to Kiseki in case he was injured, but he shook it off and warned Ryuu.

"You! Commoner! That Thieving Cat is with the girl with purple in her hair!" he yelled briskly. Ryuu, who was slightly shocked by what he said, considered what he meant by 'girl with purple in her hair'. _Hiromi!_ He thought. _Kiseki means Hiromi!_

Immediately after realizing this, he almost turned back to where the Guardians were supposed to be, not noticing that they had already caught up. He turned around to face Amu. Seeing the apprehension on his face, she asked, "Ryuu, what happened?"

Ryuu quickly explained what Kiseki had told him a few moments ago, shocked expressions on everyone's faces, and anger overcoming Tadase. Instantly, they all rushed in the direction that Kiseki lead them, going towards the park by the Royal Garden.

As they reached the tree where Ikuto and Hiromi were, Tadase and Ryuu stepped forward, and Tadase shouted, "Tsukiyomi Ikuto!"

_**H**__i__r__o__m__i'__s_ **P**_O_**V**

I kept trying to open my eyes. It felt like I had been unconscious for hours, when it was probably only 10 minutes or so. My vision was still as black as ever, but I could faintly here the sounds of voices.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto!"

That's so Tadase. Saying BOTH names. But why is he here? What is Ikuto doing? I tried my hardest to open my eyes, and my attempts finally worked! My eyes had opened, enough for me to see what was going on, but not enough for people to realize that I was awake. As I shifted my gaze around, I saw Ikuto standing by me, and I was apparently on a bench. Tadase and the rest of the Guardians were standing in front of us, Tadase and Ryuu wearing expressions full of anger.

I looked around more and heard Ryuu shout, "What did you do to Hiromi?"

If I could, I would've smiled at the fact that Ryuu cared enough to say that, but I couldn't do anything and the most I could do was open my eyes. I looked to Amu, who looked upset, probably not able to believe that Ikuto would do anything bad to me. Then my gaze switched to Ikuto. I couldn't see his face, since his back was turned to me, but I heard him say, "I didn't do anything!"

That was true. I heard Tadase immediately deny that and accuse him saying, "Liar! You were probably planning to use her for something involving Easter!"

Nah. That doesn't seem like him, even if he _does_ work for Easter. Ikuto replied to that by saying, "I'm not lying. She fainted so I brought her to this bench."

He probably did do that, though I can't say for certain since I was still out cold. I heard more shouts of accusation from Tadase and then I felt myself regain my senses. I groaned and I saw people turn to look at me. I opened my eyes wider, so it was more noticeable that I was conscious, and sat up, holding my head in the process. Ryuu was the first one to run over to me.

"Hiromi, are you okay?" he asked, concern clear in his voice. With the way his voice sounded, he seemed like he would be willing to kill Ikuto if he did anything to me. I guess that would be a pretty normal reaction for him. After all, he is my best guy friend…

I gave him a tired smile and nodded with a weak "Yeah." He smiled back at me as Amu came to me. "Hiromi are you feeling okay? Can you walk?"

She seemed almost as worried as Ryuu, and I returned her questions the same way I did Ryuu's, adding, "I think I can walk, too."

Amu smiled as Tadase stepped in and asked, "Kakinomoto-san! Did the Thieving Cat do anything to you?"

I looked at Ikuto and saw the honesty in his eyes. I turned back to Tadase and shook my head. "He didn't do anything."

Tadase still seemed angry at Ikuto but asked once again, "Are you sure?"

I nodded reassuringly, but I don't think he believed me, so I decided to try and explain. "I was on my way to the Royal Garden 'cause I knew that you guys were gonna be there soon, but I started to feel dizzy, though I didn't know why. I fainted and luckily Ikuto came and brought me here. If it wasn't for him, I probably could've died."

After hearing that, I bet that they'll think Ikuto's a hero. Though I'm pretty sure Tadase could think of an objection. "Kakinomoto-san, why did you call him by his first name?"

Well. I was right. "I call everyone by their first name, Tadase," I said, adding his name at the end as if to prove my point. Everyone nodded in a agreement and Tadase dropped the argument. They knew I was right. I always called people by their first names after I knew it. Though I tend to use last names to certain people.

After agreeing to let it go, we walked away from where Ikuto was. Walking to the Royal Garden, Kimie asked me, "Hey Hiromi, why'd you faint in the first place?"

I didn't know the answer to that. "Dunno," I began. "I just had this tingly feeling in my head then I just fell to the ground, unconscious."

She looked worried for a sec, then her cellphone rang. She flipped it open, looking at a text message and said, "Um… sorry guys, but I gotta miss the Guardian Meeting"

Before we could ask, she yelled, "Sorry! Can't explain!" and dashed off to the opposite direction. Kimie had a strange tendency to run off before Guardian Meetings. At first we thought she was just avoiding them, but she started leaving at other times so it didn't seem like she was avoiding anything. Just going off somewhere.

After another boring Guardian Meeting lead by Tadase, we walked off on our own. I sat on the ground somewhere, near my street with my charas floating around me. I took a small notebook from my school bag and wrote something down on a sheet of paper from it, tearing it off afterwards. "Ayumu," I said as she floated closer to me. "Take this piece of paper to Ikuto."

She nodded and headed off in another direction.

_**N**__o__r__m__al_ **P**_O_**V**

After Hiromi let Ayumu deliver the message to Ikuto, Ryuu walked over to her. "Hey Hiromi!" he greeted her. Hiromi greeted him in the same manner as Ryuu added, "You know, you really scared me when I saw you with that Tsukiyomi dude."

She furrowed her brow in confusion before responding, "Why? 'Cause you thought that he might've done something to me? Like to make me faint or something?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly, like he was keeping a secret. Hiromi, who didn't seem to notice this, laughed. "Don't worry. If he tried I'd kick his arse."

Ryuu smiled as Hiromi added, "Uh, Ryuu? There's something I need to tell you."

Ryuu looked towards her curiously and motioned for her to continue. "You know how I was with Ikuto and whatever?" she paused letting Ryuu nod. "Well… I'm sorta helping Ikuto…"

She trailed off slightly as Ryuu asked, slightly alarmed, "What? Helping with what?"

"Don't worry, it has nothing to do with Easter," she began, knowing Ryuu would want to know that part. "I'm helping him get along better with the Guardians. Ya know, earn their trust and what not?"

Ryuu nodded, showing a puzzled look. "And why does he need to earn our trust?"

"'Cause he needs to get along better with Amu, since there's been a few problems because of him leaving before. But since the Guardians are really protective of her, he needs to earn their trust so they know he isn't trying to do anything bad involving Easter."

Taking it all in, Ryuu responded, "Okay I believe you." As Hiromi's face brightened, he added, "And I'm going to help, too."

"Thanks Ryuu!" she said as she moved forward to hug him. He smiled and hugged back.

_*** **____*** **____*****_

Ikuto was walking around on the streets. He was near the place that he met Amu over a year back. It was a construction site and they met when Amu first used Ran's powers and flew to the top of a building frame. But now the building was finished and no longer just a frame.

Looking back at the memories, he smiled. Suddenly he heard the faint yelling of a chara. And not just any chara. Hiromi's chara, Ayumu. He turned around to face the small floating character. She seemed to be quite tired as she panted slightly. That was when Ikuto noticed what she was holding. There was a piece of paper. It looked about the same as an index card, only it was tinted a faint shade of purple, and the lines were black instead of pink or blue. Ayumu caught her breath and held out the piece of paper. "Here. Hiromi-chan told me to give it to you."

Ikuto accepted the piece of paper, making Ayumu rush back in the direction she came. Ikuto shifted his gaze back to the piece of paper and read it silently. There were only four words written in Hiromi's small writing.

_The unplanned plan worked._

Ikuto knew what she meant by that and an idea immediately popped into his head. He shoved the piece of paper into his pocket, not before folding it a bit so there wouldn't be an odd looking bulge in his pocket. He averted his gaze to a nearby tree and chara changed with Yoru. He always wondered how he could do it even when Yoru wasn't with him. Sometimes he felt like Yoru was nearby which was why he was able to do so.

Instantly, Ikuto jumped up into the tree headed toward a familiar location.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hiromi: Well I think we did quite well.

Ikuto: It was okay…

Ayari: EHHHHHH?!

Kimie: Why just okay??

Yoru: He'd just upset that there's no Amuto in this chapter~nyaa.

Hiromi: We have that planned in the next chapter.

Kimie: YEAAAH 'CAUSE WE LOVE AMUTO! -fan girl squeal-

Ayari: … -thinking Tadamu thoughts-

Ikuto: Well as long as I get time with Amu soon.

Amu: -randomly walks in- Hey guys!

Ikuto: -smiles mischievously-

Amu: Uh… why is Ikuto looking at me like that?

Kimie: -evil laugh- Just as planned.

Amu: What?! -runs from Ikuto-

Kimie: GET HER!!!!!!!!! -runs with flames in eyes and hair-

ThreeLittle EmoNerds: Well bye for now xD


	5. A Night of Surprises

**ThreeLittle EmoNerds: Welcome to another exciting edition of "A Lot Can Change in a Year!"  
Kimie: It was Ayari's turn to write this time, sorry for the super duper long wait folks!  
Ayari: Yeah, way to make me feel "honoured" -sad face-  
Doshike: Don't be sad Ayari! -huggles Ayari-  
Doshike Fangirls: WHAAA?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  
Tadase: Sorry ladies, Doshike is TAKEN!  
Doshike: -evil glare- Shut up. you stupid little prince.  
Tadase: -chara change- WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A STUPID LITTLE PRINCE YOU...YOU....FILTHY PEASANT!  
Doshike: What did you call me?!  
Tadase: A FILTHY PEASANT!  
Doshike: OH NO YOU DIDN'T!  
Tadase: OH YES I DID!  
Hiromi: Guuuuuuuuuuuuuys! Will you just SHUT UP and stop fighting!?  
Ryuu: Yeah guys! Seriously!  
Ayari: You guys aren't making me feel better...  
Ikuto: -randomly walks in and imitates Ayari- You guys aren't making me feel better! -high pitched voice-  
Ayari: SHUT UP YOU PERVERTED CAT!  
Kimie: -whispering- I hope Ikuto knows that he will NEVER get their respect like that...  
Kiseki: SHUT UP!!!!  
-dead silence-  
Kiseki: Now, STAY like that until the chapter ends!  
Hiromi: Shut up Kiseki.  
Kiseki: Why you-- - Hiromi traps Kiseki in a jar-  
ThreeLittle EmoNerds: We do not own Shugo Chara or its characters!!**

* * *

**Chapter Five : A Night of Surprises**

Ikuto POV

As I leap through the tree, through the brisk air of the night, I wonder what Amu will be thinking when she sees me at her window, once again. Will she still think of me as the stupid, crazy and perverted cat? Or will she tell her parents about me? Oh GREAT. Not only are we taking our relationship too fast, but what will her parents say? "Oh AMU! Your boyfriend is a CAT?! Well, it'll be easy buying gifts for him! Cat nip and balls of yarn!" Oh gosh, she's crazy. All of a sudden, the tree disappears, I and fall. Flat on the cold ground. What the hell?! I thought I had perfect balance when I'm chara changed with Yoru! Then I remembered.

I didn't character change with Yoru. I feel my head to check if my ears are there, but they're gone.

"YORU!" I scream. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Yoru comes flying in out of nowhere, and just lands on my shoulder like nothing happened. It seems like Yoru was taking a nap. Darn, Yoru really has to stay with me more often. I need him more than he thinks.

"What Ikuto?" Yoru asks. "I was just enjoying a nice nap with my cat friends from the alley. But your loud screaming not only woke me up, but hurt my ears ~nyaa."

"Yoru, could you PLEASE stay with me? I need you to stay chara changed with me until I get to Amu's house." I asked. Oh great, her name STILL has that ring to it, but if I say it now, I'll sound like a hungry cow.

"Ahhh..." Yoru says. "Amu's house. You're going to Amu's house?"

"Yes, Yoru. I just said that." I said a little bit annoyed.

"Okay then!" Yoru said. "AMUUUUU!!!!! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOU?! IKUTO LO--"

"Yoru," I said as I kept him quiet. "SHUT. UP."

"Yes, Almighty Ikuto." Yoru said, apologetically as he sat quietly on my shoulder.

"Ugh," I said. "Here's an apple. Knock yourself out"

"YAY! Apple~nyaa!" Yoru screamed as he chowed down on the shiny red apple.

I start walking for Amu's house, hoping that there won't be any other interruptions. The sooner I get there, the better. Maybe she WILL think I'm a crazy, stalker cat. Coming to her house at night. I'm not sure if I'm the crazy one or if Amu is. Amu might introduce me to her PARENTS. And ME?! Well, I just give her quick visits to say hi. Amu is taking this WAY TOO FAST in my opinion. A few more short minutes of walking, and hearing Yoru's munching in my ear, and I find myself in front of Amu's house.

Amu POV

"AMU!" Ran screams.

"Eh?! What NOW Ran?!" I ask her annoyed.

"What's for DINNER?!" She asks. "We're all REEEEEEEEEALLY hungry!"

"Oh, that's EASY!" Suu screams, over-charismatically. "Leave the soft and fluffy stuff to Suu! Chip, Syrup, WHIP!" Suu screams as she fills the room with a honey-like scent.

Then out of nowhere, a bunch of random food start popping out of mid-air and start landing on the floor, my desk, my bed, EVERYWHERE. Sushi, noodles, taiyaki, cake, muffins, etc. Although this was a very...creative way to make dinner, it causes a huge mess. For ME to clean up. -_-"

"Yay!" Ran screams. "FOOD!" She immediately charges for the food and starts scarfing it down without thinking about chewing.

"I hope it's good Suu!" Miki screams as she flies towards the freshly made dinner.

The food looks..._yummy._ _I should eat some. _I think as my stomach starts roaring like mad. I start walking towards the food, and before I take even as little as five steps, I find myself pigging out on the magically made food.

"Suu," I say as I try to chew the food. "You should bee the one to clean this up when we're done."

"Okay Amu!" Suu says as she cleanly takes a bite out of her own food.

Normal POV

Ikuto slowly starts to climb up the wall of Amu's home, while Amu is in her room, enjoying a buffet made by Suu. Ikuto ends up chara changing with Yoru so that his mission will be made much easier. He continues to climb up the wall, when he suddenly hears screaming.

"SUU!" Amu screams, sounding annoyed.

"Ah! Sorry Amu!" Suu says, trying to pull off the innocent smile and voice.

"SUU! CLEAN THIS UP! CLEAN UP THE SPILLED JUICE, THE CRUMBS, EVERYTHING!"

"Amu!" Suu says, as she starts to tear up.

"Suu. Clean it. PLEASE." Amu says, sounder a bit more calm.

"We'll help you Suu!" Miki and Ran say, as they run for the spilled juice.

Ikuto manages to find his way to Amu's balcony. He peers in and sees the three charas and Amu all on the floor, wiping and sweeping. Ikuto taps on the screen door and waits for a response. The response he gets? Not a very good one. It ended up being Amu and her excessive screaming.

"IKUTO!" She screams as she charges for the door. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She opens door and goes outside, covering her blue, ducky covered pajamas.

"I just wanted to say hello, _Amu._" He says, emphasizing her name and trying to sound cool. Status: FAILED. He ended up sounded like a hungry cow, yet again.

"Really? Are you SURE?! Are you SURE you want to say hello at a time like THIS?!" Amu says as she points to the moon.

"Yes, I'm sure _Amu._" He says, as he sits on the floor, leaning his head against the balustrade of her balcony.

"Ikuto, you crazy cat." She says, annoyed. "You really--"

Amu was interrupted by knocking at her door.

"AMU!" A female voice screamed. It turned out to be her mom. "AMU, WHAT IS ALL THAT SCREAMING ABOUT?!"

"AMU, IS THERE A BOY IN THERE?!" Her dad screams.

* * *

**Kimie: Oooh. AMU. There's a BOY in your room!  
Amu: Please, shut up.  
Ayari: Yeah AMU!  
Ran: YEAH AMU!  
Miki: YEAH AMU!  
Suu: YEAH AMU!  
Ikuto: YEAH AMU! -laughing hysterically-  
Tadase: HOW DARE YOU, YOU PERVERTED CAT!  
Doshike: Guys, seriously. You obsess about Amu WAY TOO MUCH.  
Hiromi: Yeah guys! The chapter is finally done, can't you stop fighting for a bit?  
Ikuto and Tadase: NO!  
Ryuu: You guys really need to calm down and SHUT UP.  
-Ikuto and Tadase continue to fight-  
Rima: -yawns- How long has it been?  
Kukei: Um... -checks watch- ...20 minutes  
Amu: And they're STILL fighting?  
Nagehiko: Yup. And it's about you. -snickers-  
Hiromi: You guys wanna get something to eat? While they fight?  
All Guardians (except Tadase): Sure.  
ThreeLittle EmoNerds: Well...while we grab something to eat...REVIEW THIS CHAPTER!  
Hiromi: All you have to do is click a button, and type a few words, and then POOF. There's your review!  
Ayari: So, GET OFF YOUR LAZY ARSE AND GIVE US A REVIEW! -flaming hair-  
ThreeLittle EmoNerds: BYE GUYS!  
-Ikuto and Tadase STILL fighting-**


End file.
